FIRST PERIOD 0-0, shots 15-5 Portland. This is what the Thunderbirds do: they sit their big guys in front of their own net, they dare you to get a shot through them, they take away the slot and dare you to fight for it, they wait for you to overcommit and then hit you back the other way, or they get a power play. And if they happen to make a mistake doing one or more of these things, they have Calvin Pickard to save the day.

So far this season they've done it pretty well. The Winterhawks dominated possession in the first ten minutes, but Seattle was doing what they want to do, and all the shots were coming from the outside and wide. The second half of the period was a little better, but Pickard was still strong.

SECOND PERIOD 1-1 (Jacobs; Rattie), shots 12-12. The Winterhawks started pressing, and the first ten minutes was Seattle's best stretch of the game. Then they got their break. They went on a power play, and Colin Jacobs' long shot hit Taylor Peters and found the net. Lucky.

When the Winterhawks struggle offensively against Seattle it's when they lose the battle for the slot. The first two periods it wasn't even a contest. Seattle controlled it, the Winterhawks weren't fighting for it. Again most of the shots were from the sides and long-range, and Pickard had no problem.

But the Winterhawks do have the skill to counteract . On a power play of their own, a perfect pass from Joe Morrow cross-ice found Ty Rattie, even Pickard isn't fast enough to cover that, and Rattie put a perfect shot into the top corner. Tie game.

THIRD PERIOD 0-0, shots 13-6 Portland. Out of six periods plus two overtimes, this is the best period I've seen against Seattle. This period they did win the battle for the slot, and created a bunch of scoring chances. Pickard saved them the point, and he wasn't even that spectacular, he made a lot of tough saves look easy.

It was the Rattie, Sven Bartschi, and Ryan Johansen show again, as they led the way again in the third period. But really everyone was creating. Whatever was done in the second intermission, keep doing it.

Also, this is why I don't think Seatle's won-lost record is sustainable. They have to play their style almost perfectly too much of the time. And Pickard isn't always going to play as well as he did in the third period.

OVERTIME 0-0, shots 3-3. I wondered if the Thunderbirds were going to sit back and play for overtime, thinking they'd have the advantage in the shootout. But they didn't. The result was an entertaining overtime where both teams had chances.

SHOOTOUT 2-0 Portland (Rattie, Leipsic). Wasn't sure they had it in them. But we had The Secret Weapon. I wonder if Pickard, who had only allowed one goal in three shootouts coming in, expected that from a 16-year-old in the anchor position no less.

STARS

1. SEA - 1 Calvin Pickard. Remember last year when he was bad against the Winterhawks? His save percentage is .969 in three games this year.
2. POR - 31 Mac Carruth. Even better tonight than on his shutout on Wednesday.
3. POR - 8 Ty Rattie. He and Bartschi have been out of sight.

I'd have given third star to Joe Morrow though. That pass was the tougher part of the goal, and it came at a time when it looked like there was no way through Pickard. Late in the game he had an amazing chase-down of a Seattle player to break up a primo scoring chance. I'd peg he and Brett Ponich as the two best d-men of the night.

I'M GETTING OLD when I start dreading these big-crowd Rose Garden games because of 1) all the people who arrive at 7:15 and then start fumbling around trying to find their seats, 2) they people who won't wait for a stoppage in play, and 3) the people who just stop and stand in the middle of the stairway. When you're driving, do you just stop and sit in the middle of the road? (Actually that happened, too, leaving the arena.) Get off my lawn!

SHOOTOUTS I don't love them, my pet solution would be 3-on-3 unlimited until there's a goal, but this way, even if it were a loss, is a lot better than a tie.

PRACTICE? It doesn't seem like it, but this is the first occurrence this season of seven days without a game. Scary to think this team hasn't had that much chance to practice so far.

OUTSIDE THE TOP LINE the Winterhawks need more goal production. They'll figure it out eventually. This was my main worry putting those three together, however.